When it comes to choosing an automatic pool cleaner you're going to have a few options. Suction side cleaners, robotic cleaners and pressure side cleaners are all great choices for cleaning your pool and removing dirt, debris and algae from your water. Which one you choose is going to come down to how much money you want to spend, what your current pool set up is and how much you're willing to put into the cleaner to maintain it.

Suction Side

Suction side cleaners work off the existing power of your pool's pump to pull your skimmer line vacuum head across the floor of your pool picking up the debris as it goes. They're usually the least expensive option and work very well, though they do tend to take longer to complete a full cleaning cycle than other types of cleaners. They're also very easy to repair and parts are inexpensive. This makes them a great choice for new pools that haven't been vaccuumed in a while and older pools that need to be cleaned more thoroughly. They also run off of your existing pool circulation pump so they don't add any real increase to your household electricity usage.

If your suction side cleaner isn't working the first thing you should check is that the hose is firmly attached to the skimmer line and the vacuum head. If there's a lot of tangled debris in the hose or it's filled with air this can affect the suction and cause the cleaner to move around randomly. You'll also want to make sure the hose is long enough to reach from your wall connection out into the deep end of your pool and that it has a few feet left over in order to prevent any tangling.

Robotic Cleaner

A robotic cleaner is a more advanced type of pool cleaner that uses wheels or tracks to move around your pool, instead of relying on the force of gravity like a suction side or pressure side cleaner. These are typically more expensive, but they're also very easy to use and keep running as long as you have battery power. They can also be programmed to run on a schedule, which is very convenient for those who go away on vacation frequently or have a large amount of work to do on their home pool. Like all automated cleaners, they require a little more maintenance than a suction or pressure side cleaner. They need to be removed from the pool and rinsed off periodically to remove chemical water and they should be stored in a shaded cool place out of direct sunlight between uses to prolong the life of the batteries and electronics.

A robotic cleaner can be programmed to run on either a floor only, wall only or combination cleaning mode. Its app-based operation and remote monitoring features are very user friendly and we really liked how easily it was able to maneuver itself around the edges of our test pool without getting stuck or getting hung up on the walls. Its super strong suction was able to remove visible algae very quickly and the hose was designed to be tangle-proof, slipping and sliding past loops rather than knotting. We also liked how it has a built-in battery gauge that lights up and notifies you when the cleaner is finished with its cycle.